Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The weather was almost always just right for the day (not too hot when walking, perfect sunshine on the rest days.)  The only rain enabled us to stay cool on a stiff climb "three col" day.  Seeing one of the refuges in front of a glacier appear out of the mist was pretty dramatic.The most inspirational moment was funnily enough nothing to do with views.  It involved our guide Mel (Potter) squatting in the dust with a toy bulldozer and a Snickers bar describing the formation of morraines and other aspects of the surrounding scenery.  If you can picture the peanuts as erratics and the cracks from bending the chocolate bar as crevasses, you get the picture.  The clarity of thought and ease of explanation would have made any geology professor green with envy. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

On our only previous Exodus trip we were unimpressed with the group leader and so were not expecting anything special.  How wrong could we be?  Mel was amazing.  She was clearly very knowledgeable and informative (the two do not always go together!) on every aspect of the Tour from camp life through to plants, birds and wildlife.  She was friendly and amusing throughout and certainly made the trip into something special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The books on the TMB suggest that a choice of clockwise or anticlockwise is possible.  Having seen the walks I would suggest that the Exodus starting in Chamonix and going clockwise is good, leaving the steep challenge of Brevent to the last walking day. The sense of elation having reached the Brevent top (and Mel opening the champagne) was out of this world and a worthy final stretch.Ask to get Mel on your trip!!  Pascale the chef/driver/fixer was also fantastic

Most Inspirational Moment

reaching the sumitt of le breton 2,527mts the last ascent of 1,500mts having set off at 06-30am so as not to slow the rest of group.Followed by the last 3 hours, walking a scenic route along the valley contouring  to the cable car at F ?? with 2 Aussies and an Irish colleen!!.

Thoughts on Group Leader

excellent character cannot reccommend him more highly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

make sure you'r fit and don't underestimate the amount of ascent and descent on the trip. It helps if you have a GSOH

Most Inspirational Moment

The Grand Col de Ferret with its outstanding views in both directions. The campsite the night before at Le Fouly had tremendous mountain and glacier views.Also - if the weather is good,  don't miss the Hellbronner crossing on the rest day in Courmayeur.  This was very expensive but AMAZING to see the climbers on Mont Blanc, the tents in the snow and the Mer de Glace from above. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Calm, safe, sensible, inspirational at times! No-one argued when he said to don full waterproofs and cross a col in seriously bad weather - we just got on with it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

(1) Be as fit as you can. These are big walks.(2) Camping is DEFINITELY the best way to do the trek, not hotels. Much more of a sense of travelling round the circuit. Also food, wine, beer, tea and coffee all excellent and cheap, unlike the hotellers. (3) Don't worry about charging up phones, camera batteries, the support van has plenty of electrical sockets for this. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the last day of walking above Chamonix.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ace - Mel is really good. Good leadership qualities, knows her stuff, enthusiastic about the fauna and flora. Adds much more to the trip. Pascal, her support driver/chef also added much to the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the notes, be flexible, enjoy the company of others. This trip works well as you have a definite purpose ie the circuit.

Most Inspirational Moment

Finally ascending the second col on the penultimate walking day in a somewhat less than healthy state.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Am I allowed to give Mel marks of eleven out of ten?

Advice for Potential Travellers

Unless you are incredibly unfit or have an overwhelming health concern which you have discussed in detail with your GP and Exodus, do consider this two week nature extravaganza.  Some training before hand of course would not go amiss. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day that the clouds cleared and you could see the mountain views. On one of the rest days I took the cable car up from Italy and accross to France. This is fairly expensive but well worth it for the fantastic scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was excellent, very organized and thorough in briefings and leading. Also our driver transporting our stuff from campsite to campsite was excellent, her cooking and meals were brilliant.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit and used to walking for long days up and down steep terrain. If you are not a regular camper then don't be put off by the camping part of the trip - it is very well organized and fun.

Most Inspirational Moment

I have two main moments.  These may well have been different if the weather had been more favourable.   One highlight is the telepherique from Courmayeur to Aiguille du Midi on the first rest day.   The views of the glacier, Mont Blanc and the peaks were stunning and nothing like I have seen before.The second was reaching Brevent, the final ascent of the TMB.  It had rained on this our last day, but stopped for the last couple of hours of the climb, and although we didn't really get the views,  the feeling of having completed the circuit was pretty good, even a bit emotional!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Mel, was excellent.  She is very knowledgeable and a good calm leader.    Our cook/support person had to leave on day two and Carey took over, which was to our benefit.   Excellent food.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The weather overall was not as good as we had hoped and 2 pairs of shorts returned home unworn.  It is going to be cold on the cols, so be prepared with several thin layers to put on and take off.   Good raingear is essential.    The camping was very good with nice flat pitches with no rocks and good facilities.  Even the 2 so-called rough camps were fine.   Having done a few treks I was very pleased not to see the standard dark and cramped mess tent.  We were able to enjoy the light evenings with spacious areas to eat or sit and chat over a beer.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views of the Mont Blanc massive while walking and particulalry a brilliant ride across the Glacier du Geant on the Telecabine de la Valle Blanch to the Aigulle du Midi on our rest day in Courmayeur - one occasion when the wather did co-operate!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent both at a technical and group management levels - provided opportunities for the younger, faster, fitter members of the party to burn off their energy whilst encouraging the slower old codgers without being patronising.

Most Inspirational Moment

This is a hard question to answer because although great views are expected in the Alps, there were inspirational views and sights virtually every step of the way. Our guide, Mel, was inspirational, in her love and passion for the mountains and her knowledge of the local landscape, and particularly the flowers and plants. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

As I have said above, our group leader Mel was inspirational. It was obviously not just a holiday for her, it was a lifestyle. She was very encouraging and accommodating, and found ways to coax us up the huge mountains, even in the face of pain and injury. She managed to distract us from the pain by giving us botany 'lessons' as we were going along, and these little talks also enabled her to make the whole group stop and rest to allow the slower members to catch up and rest also. In the end, the whole group were orchid spotting and this gave us a completely new perspective on the Alps, and a depth of experience, which other trekkers walking by at top speed did not get.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a pair of trekking poles, as they were invaluable, since the majority of the trip is either up or down, and you need them for both! Don't rely on being able to wash, and particularly dry clothes. There are washers and dryers at several of the campsites, but the dryers did not appear to work well, and the weather is not stable enough to rely on hanging clothes out to dry. Just take a fresh pair of socks for each day and don't mind wearing other clothes for a few days each. 

Most Inspirational Moment

An amazing opportunity to walk in the Alps and enjoy the views.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mel was a fabulous guide. She was very knowledgable about the route (having done the route over the last 4 years), managed the group dynamics very well, supporting us on the 'tough' days and with her extensive knowledge of botany and geology was always able to show us something new regularly and answer our questions. She carried a small plastic digger (and some Snicker bars) to explain glaciation - far better than any geography lesson i have ever had before).

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can be wet in early Spring but worth it for the flowers.The two rough camps are just that! Not really very nice. The other 'comfortable' camps were all great.